Brett, a junior quarterback at Shadle Park High, completed 44 of 59 passes for a state-record 613 yards in a 63--42 win over Mount Spokane High. He threw for eight TDs and ran for another. The nephew of Super Bowl XXVI MVP Mark Rypien, Brett is the Greater Spokane League's alltime leading passer, with 6,354 yards; his uncle had 4,965.

Alexa Efraimson | Camas, Wash. | Cross-country

Alexa, a junior at Camas High, won the women's 5K in a PR 16:35 at the Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, Ore., defeating a field of 101 mostly collegiate runners to jump to No. 2 in the national rankings. The defending Class 4A champion, she won the 1,500-meter bronze at the world youth championships in Donetsk, Ukraine (4:16.07).

October 28, 2013

THE BEST WAY TO BREED OCTOBER SUCCESS? FOR A PLAYER-DEVELOPMENT MACHINE LIKE THE CARDINALS, IT'S BY KILLING IT IN THE DRAFT. DURING ONE 72-HOUR STRETCH IN 2009, ST. LOUIS BUILT MUCH OF THIS WORLD SERIES TEAM—AND POSSIBLY SEVERAL MORE

DWIGHT HOWARD'S INSIDE GAME IS BUILT ON POWER AND LITTLE ELSE. THAT COULD CHANGE UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF THE MOST BALLETIC PAIR OF OLD-SCHOOL BIG MEN THE GAME HAS EVER SEEN: HAKEEM OLAJUWON AND KEVIN MCHALE

BASKETBALL'S LITTLES TAKE A BIG POUNDING—ESPECIALLY THEIR KNEES, WHICH CAN BUCKLE UNDER ALL THAT LEAPING AND CUTTING. A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER HE TORE HIS ACL, 2011 MVP D-ROSE IS BACK. WILL HE BE AS GOOD AS NEW?

BUT WILL HE WIN? FOR YEARS KING JAMES HAS DOMINATED EVERY STORY LINE, CHANGING HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED AND HOW THE LEAGUE'S BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED. THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER GUY MAKING NEWS, THOUGH: KEVIN DURANT, WHO WILL FINALLY BEAT THE HEAT'S BIG THREE AND BRING A TITLE TO LITTLE OKLAHOMA CITY

WHEN PAUL PIERCE PERSUADED KEVIN GARNETT TO PLAY FOR THE NETS—AND FOR ROOKIE COACH JASON KIDD—IT CLINCHED THE DEAL OF THE SUMMER. NOW THE CLOCK IS ALREADY TICKING ON A GROUP OF HIGHLY PAID BUT AGING STARS AS THEY STRIVE TO LEAD THE FRANCHISE TO ITS FIRST NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

ONE IS THE PROTOTYPICAL NBA WING. THE OTHER LACKS STRENGTH, CAN'T JUMP AND IS FREAKISHLY SKILLED. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BACKCOURT LIKE THE WARRIORS' KLAY THOMPSON AND STEPHEN CURRY, TWO YOUNG GUNNERS WHOSE SHOOTING RANGE ASTOUNDS EVEN THEMSELVES

Bruns, 19, a second-year goaltender for the Omaha (Neb.) Lancers of the USHL, stopped 28 shots in a 7--0 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers to extend his league alltime longest shutout streak to five games. He saved a total of 117 shots in those wins before his streak ended with a 4--2 loss to the Waterloo (Iowa) Black Hawks.

Connie Zhou | Lake Oswego, Ore. | Golf

Zhou, a sophomore at Division III Washington, won the Golfweek Fall Preview by two strokes with a three-over 219, a 54-hole school record, at the Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club (Haines City, Fla.). She had three birdies on the back nine of the final round to clinch the first victory of her career. Last year Zhou was ranked D-III's No. 2 freshman.

Clayton Hanly | Santa Ynez, Calif. | Football

Clayton, a senior defensive end at Santa Ynez High, had 8½ sacks in a 40--14 win over Santa Maria High to break the California single-game record (eight), which was set in 1994 and tied in 2001. Clayton, who also wrestles, won the Los Padres League 222-pound title last year and placed third in the CIF Southern Section championships.

Elvin Kibet | Eldoret, Kenya | Cross-country

Kibet, an Arizona senior, led the Wildcats to first place in her season debut at the 6K Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, finishing second in 20:49. Last season Kibet came in first for Arizona in five of the team's six races and earned All-America honors in indoor and outdoor track. She finished sixth in the 5K at the indoor NCAA championships (16:00.91).